The two major landowners are the University of California, which owns the upper 150 acres of our mostly wild land canyon (considered ecological study areas), and the East Bay Regional Park District, which owns the lower 208-acres, including a tributary side canyon, Gwin Canyon. Both agencies have their hands full with the responsibility of protecting natural values of these lands while assuring a reasonably fire-safe environment.

Other public landowners in Claremont Canyon share in this responsibility, including the City of Oakland, which owns the 14-acre John Garber Park at the bottom of the canyon just behind the grounds of the Claremont Hotel, and EBMUD, which owns three water tanks in Claremont Canyon and several acres of tree-covered ridgelands contiguous to hundreds of additional acres of open space in EBMUD’s Siesta Valley watershed.

There are also private landowners in Claremont Canyon, including AT&T and the Pacifica Foundation, both of which own radio towers on ridgelands to the east side of Grizzly Peak Boulevard, and several hundred private homes, mostly nestled along the southern slope.

All landowners, both public and private, share in the responsibilities of understanding our Mediterranean-style ecosystem in which we live and doing what we can to prepare for the inevitable next wildfire.